Classical Prose
邹忌讽齐王纳谏
《战国策》
邹忌修八尺有余,而形貌昳丽。
朝服衣冠,窥镜,谓其妻曰:“我孰与城北徐公美?”其妻曰:“君美甚,徐公何能及君也!”
城北徐公,齐国之美丽者也。忌不自信,而复问其妾曰:“吾孰与徐公美?”妾曰:“徐公何能及君也!”
旦日,客从外来,与坐谈,问之客曰:“吾与徐公孰美?”客曰:“徐公不若君之美也。”
明日,徐公来。孰视之,自以为不如;窥镜而自视,又弗如远甚。
暮寝而思之,曰:“吾妻之美我者,私我也;妾之美我者,畏我也;客之美我者,欲有求于我也。”
于是入朝见威王,曰:“臣诚知不如徐公美。臣之妻私臣,臣之妾畏臣,臣之客欲有求于臣,皆以美于徐公。
今齐地方千里,百二十城。宫妇左右莫不私王,朝廷之臣莫不畏王,四境之内莫不有求于王。
由此观之,王之蔽甚矣。”
王曰:“善。”乃下令:“群臣吏民能面刺寡人之过者,受上赏;上书谏寡人者,受中赏;能谤讥于市朝,闻寡人之耳者,受下赏。”
令初下,群臣进谏,门庭若市。
数月之后,时时而间进。
期年之后,虽欲言,无可进者。
燕、赵、韩、魏闻之,皆朝于齐。此所谓战胜于朝廷。
Translation
Zou Ji was more than eight chi tall and handsome in form and appearance. One morning he dressed in court clothes and cap, looked into the mirror, and said to his wife, “Who is more handsome, I or Lord Xu from the north of the city?” His wife replied, “You are far more handsome. How could Lord Xu compare with you?” Lord Xu was known in Qi for his beauty. Zou Ji did not believe it, so he asked his concubine, “Who is more handsome, I or Lord Xu?” She replied, “How could Lord Xu compare with you?” The next day a guest came from outside. As they sat talking, Zou Ji asked him, “Who is more handsome, I or Lord Xu?” The guest replied, “Lord Xu is not as handsome as you.” The following day Lord Xu came. Zou Ji looked at him carefully and knew he was not his equal; then he looked at himself in the mirror and felt even farther inferior. That night, lying down, he thought about it and said, “My wife praised my beauty because she is partial to me; my concubine praised me because she fears me; my guest praised me because he wants something from me.” He then entered court and saw King Wei of Qi. “I truly know that I am not as handsome as Lord Xu,” he said. “Yet my wife is partial to me, my concubine fears me, and my guest wants something from me, so all said I was more handsome. Now Qi stretches a thousand li and has one hundred and twenty cities. The women of the palace and those around you are all partial to Your Majesty; the ministers of the court all fear Your Majesty; everyone within the borders has something to ask of Your Majesty. From this, it is clear that Your Majesty is deeply shielded from the truth.” The king said, “Good.” He issued an order: “Ministers, officials, and people who can point out my faults to my face shall receive the highest reward; those who remonstrate by memorial shall receive the middle reward; those whose criticism in the marketplaces and courts reaches my ears shall receive the lower reward.” When the order was first issued, ministers came forward with advice, and the court gate was as busy as a marketplace. After several months, advice came only from time to time. After a year, even those who wished to speak had nothing left to say. Yan, Zhao, Han, and Wei heard of this and all came to pay court to Qi. This is what is called winning victory in the court.
Analysis
“Zou Ji Satirizes the King of Qi into Accepting Remonstrance” is a classic piece from the Strategies of the Warring States. Its brilliance lies in turning a private experience into political counsel. Zou Ji does not criticize the king directly. Instead, he begins with the story of asking his wife, concubine, and guest whether he is more handsome than Lord Xu. Their answers are false, not because they are ignorant, but because they are shaped by affection, fear, and interest. Zou Ji then maps this insight onto the king’s situation: those around a ruler are also partial, fearful, or dependent, so the ruler is especially vulnerable to being shielded from truth. The method is tactful and effective: by speaking of himself first, Zou Ji allows the king to recognize the problem without feeling attacked. King Wei’s response is equally important. By rewarding direct criticism, written advice, and even public complaint, he opens channels of speech. The movement from “the court gate was like a marketplace” to “there was nothing left to advise” shows reform in action. The final phrase, “winning victory in the court,” gives the essay its political depth: true strength may come not from battlefield conquest but from internal correction and the courage to hear criticism.
About the Author
The Strategies of the Warring States is a major collection of political anecdotes, speeches, and diplomatic strategies from the Warring States period, compiled and edited in the Western Han by Liu Xiang. Its prose is vivid, persuasive, and often dramatic, emphasizing rhetoric, strategy, and political insight. “Zou Ji Satirizes the King of Qi into Accepting Remonstrance” is one of its best-known pieces, illustrating the art of indirect persuasion.